Commentary on Malachi 2, Part 6 – Part 7
VI. The ſixth Conteſtation.
Sixthly, Ʋerſ. 7 he conteſts with them for their impenitence. verſe. 7. That they had ſinned, and continued in ſin, and yet would not be convinced.
1. That they had continued in ſinning againſt Gods lawes. Even from the dayes of your fathers, ye have gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them,] He exprobrates their old and inveterate trade of ſinning.
From mine Ordinances] Vulg. A legitimis meis, that is (as they tell us who being bound to receive the vulgar Latine as Authentick, doe ſtudy to make the beſt ſenſe of it) a legibus meis. You are gon from my lawes. The Tigur. My Statutes. Pagn. My inſtitutes. The things which I have deſcribed, drawne out, conſtituted, of foreign.
2. That they would not yet bee convinced; which is urged;
I. By a declaration of Gods Grace in exhorting them and encouraging them to Repentance.
1. Exhorting them Returne unto me ſaith the Lord,] that is, by Repentance. foreign among many other uſes that it is put unto ſignifies to repent, as Deut. 30.2. 1 Kings 8.33.35. Lam. 3.40. Hoſ. 7.16. and in many Texts. God though he might conſume them, offers them mercy, and ſhewes them a meanes to prevent his wrath.
II. Encouraging them. And I will returne unto you, ſaith the Lord] that is, I will ſhew you favour. This is another uſe and ſignification of the word foreign when it is applyed unto God. So Zach. 1.3.
2. By their ſtiffeneſſe and difficulty to be convinced, But yee ſay, wherein ſhall we returne?] As if they were righteous, and needed no repentance. This is the nature of man, to make contradiction to Gods grace, and reſiſtance to the motions of Gods Spirit, either convincing the world of ſinne, or perſwading to obedience. And this people did alwayes ſo, as Saint Stephen teſtifies of them, Act. 7.51. and the Apoſtle, Rom. 10.21. To Iſrael he ſaith, all day long I have ſtretched forth my hands, foreign, unto the diſobedient (or unperſwadeable) and againſaying people. So the tranſlation of the Septuagint, whom Saint Paul followed, did with ſeverall words expreſſe that which in the Hebrew text, Eſa. 65.2. is delivered in one, A rebellious people. But thus much of the ſixth Conteſtation.
VII. The ſeventh Conteſtation.
Seventhly, hee conteſts with them for their Sacriledge, verſ. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. both,
I. Arguing againſt their ſinne, verſ. 8. and,
2. Expoſtulating with them, that it were better for them, yea, even in their outward eſtates to deale righteouſly with God, verſ. 9, 10, 11, 12.
I. He argues againſt their ſinne, verſ. Verſe 8 8.
1. From a ground of equitie.
2. By an application of their fact unto the ground.
1. He argues from a generall ground of right and equitie. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed mee] Will fraile weake man (Adam) doe violence unto, or defraud (Elohim) the great and mighty God? Yet you have done ſo.
Robbe] The French, Pillage; Geneva, Spoile: will a man ſpoile God? So alſo Pagn. and Vatab. Crucifie, wound, or pierce, ſo the Vulgar, and the Tigurine, and that is indeed the firſt ſignification of the originall word. So the Tranſlator of the New Teſt, into the Syriack, uſeth the word, Coloſſ. 2.14. foreign And nayled (or pierced) it unto his Croſſe. But by a Metaphor, it ſignifies to Oppreſſe, or To rob, or To ſpoile, as Prov. 22.53. The Lxx. here taking foreign by a Metatheſis for foreign which is, To ſupplant or Deceive, reade, Will a man ſupplant his God? But in the ſenſe there is an agreement. Will a man, or is it fit that a man ſhould grieve, defraud, pierce, or ſpoile his God, as you doe who rob his Prieſts and Miniſters of their maintenance, whereby you undermine and overthrow even Religion it ſelfe, and Gods worſhip. When the portions of the Levites were not given them, the Levites and Singers that did the worke, of Gods houſe, fled every one to his field: and ſo Gods work, that is, his worſhip was left undone: as Nehemiah obſerved, Neh. 13.10. The truth is, When the Miniſters of God are kept under the burden of Poverty, The Lords work is, either not done, or done deceitfully; when the Prieſts are forced to comply with their humors, from whom they expect their maintenance, and ſo ſerve not God, but them; flattering them that feed them, as it is, Micah. 3.5. They bite with their teeth, and cry peace; which I interpret according to the Chalde Paraphraſe, He that maketh them a feaſt of fleſh, to him they preach peace: But hee that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war againſt him; And ſo they make the people to erre. And it cannot bee otherwiſe, whiles, as it is in the eleventh verſe of that chapter, The Prieſts teach for hire, and the Prophets divine for money, that is, are faine to maintaine themſelves with ſordid and unworthy flatteries. To prevent which, it was a moſt pious and commendable care in King Hezekiah, which is recorded, 2. Chron. 31.4. He commanded the people that dwelt in Ieruſalem, to give the portion of the Prieſts and Levites (that they might attend upon the Law of the Lord; ſo the Vulg. That they might confirme themſelves in executing the Law of the Lord. So Tremel. but as we reade,) that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord. Dependancie and expectation of arbitrary maintenance, is a great Alay to the purer temper, and ſpirit, and zeale, that ought to be in them that ſerve at the Lords Altar; in whom, (according to the uſuall Apothegme of a reverend Divine of ours) Innocencie and Independencie breeds the beſt courage. And by ſuch is God beſt ſerved. The ſcandals that are given by Miniſters, doe much diminiſh the reputation of Religion, and undermine it, but Scandalous livings are a great cauſe of Scandalous Miniſters: Which was the obſervation of a learned Gentleman, and worthy member of the Houſe of Commons, in the Parliament Anno 1628. who alſo promiſed, that he would never give over ſolliciting the cure and remedie of this, while Parliaments and he ſhould live together. And well may he or ſome other effectually purſue it, eſpecially having ſo much encouragement in it, by the pietie and tenderneſſe of our preſent Religious, and most gracious Soveraigne, who (according to the example of his Royall Father, for planting a ſetled competencie for the Churches throughout Scotland) hath ſhewed ſo much readineſſe and gracious diſpoſition this way, that (as he deſerves it) I doubt not but ſuch as ſhall deliver his reigne hereafter to poſterity, will among his other vertues, give him this Title, The Patron and Father of his poore and injuried Clergie, and will mention that great Councellour of his in Eccleſiaſticall matters, with his due honour, for promoving it in him, with ſo much zeale to the welfare of this Church: But of this obitèr and Currente calame.
2. He argues againſt their ſin, by an application of their fact, unto that ground of generall right. Yet yee have robbed mee; But yee ſay, Wherein have we robbed thee? In Tythes and in Offerings.] They deny the Aſſumption, and he proves it; That they robbed him, becauſe they dealt deceitfully about the portion of his Prieſts. The Tythes he had of old aſſigned unto them. There were three ſorts of Tythes; The firſt were given to the Levites for their alimonie; this was called, Maaſer Riſhòn, The firſt Tithe. The ſecond was that which every man ſet a part againſt his going up to Jeruſalem to feaſt with the Levites and Prieſts, this was called, Maaſer Sheni, The ſecond Tythe. And leſt that ſhould be omitted, the Tythe of the Third yeare was to be given to the poore, to Levites, to widowes, and orphans; and this was called Maaſer Shliſhi, The Third Tythe, and Maaſer aani, The poore-mans-tythe, foreign. See theſe three ſorts mentioned, Tobit 1.7, 8. And beſides, and before all theſe, The fiftieth part was given to the Prieſts, which was called Reſchit, The firſt fruit, and Terumah gdola, The great offering. Tythes were intended much unto the ſame uſe in the Chriſtian Church, one part for the Biſhop, another for the Clergie, a third for the Poore, a fourth for the Repaire of the Church: according to Walafrid: Strabo, de exord. Eccleſ. cap. 27. publiſhed by Ioh. Cochlaeus in Speculo Antiq. Devot. The diſtribution is ſomewhat otherwiſe, in the Excerptions of Egbert, Archbiſhop of Yorke, which the learned Sr. H. Spelman, in his late diligent Collections of our Brittiſh Councels and Decrees, hath communicated, Ad Annum Chriſti, 750. the fifth Excerption. Let the Prieſts receive the Tythes, and ſet out the firſt part for the adorning of the Church; the ſecond for the uſe of poore and ſtrangers; the third part let the Prieſts reſerve to themſelves. The very ſame order we find in the Canons of Alfrick (Biſhop of Yorke, as Sr. H. Spelm. gueſſeth at it, An. 1052.) Can. 24. Hee that would ſee more concerning the care of our Ancient Kings about Tythes, may ſatisfie himſelfe in that induſtrious and learned Author, In Concil. Calchuth. ad An. 787. where in the ſeventeenth Canon, Ʋt Decimae juſtè ſolventur: This very place of our Prophet Malachy is alleaged; as it is alſo in the Conſtitutions of Odo, Archbiſhop of Canterbury, An. 943. cap. 10. Hee may ſee alſo, K. Offa's gift, An. 793. pag. 308. K. Ethelwulphs gift, in the Councell at Wincheſter, An. 855. pag. 348. K. Alureds Eccleſ. lawes, cap 9. pag 377. K. Edwards the elder, cap. 6. pag. 392. K. Aethelſtans, cap. 1. pag. 402. K. Edmunds, cap. 2. pag. 420. K. Edgars, cap. 3. pag. 444. and the Canons of his time, Can. 54. pag. 454. Tythes they are Gods portion: hence when the Jewes tythed their flocks, as the young paſſed thorow the doore of the fold, the Levite ſtood with a rod in his hand, and marking the Tenth that came out, ſaid, This tenth is the Lords. According to that, Levit. 27.32. Whatſoever paſſeth under the rod, the tenth ſhall bee the Lords. And ſo they have ever been accounted, although the Church have ſometimes taken libertie to aſſigne them to other uſes; as thoſe Decimae Saladinides, which the Councell of Paris granted to Philip of France for his warre againſt Saladine the Mahumedan, An. 1189. which (as Matth. Paris, Monk of St. Albans writeth,) Richard 1. the King of England, obtained alſo for the ſame purpoſe the next yeare: and others ſince, though the pretence were altered. But ſee the liberty of the antienter Church concerning Tythes, in Gratian, Cauſ. 1. qu. 3. pervenit ad. cauſ. 13. qu. 1. & 2. cauſ. 16. qu. 1. Si quis Laicus, and Eccleſiae antiquitus, and In canonibus in Gangrenſi, and quaeſt. 7. Decimas quas. And for ours, for the times he writ of, and collected, ſee Wilhelm. Lyndewood, Conſtitut. lib. 1. pag. 13.2. pag. 14. f. pag. 15. o. &c. and largely, De Decimis, lib. 3. pag. 101. &c. Concerning the Queſtion, Quo Jure, beſides the skirmiſhes of our men about it, and which you ſhall finde in the reverend and godly Author of the following Commentary, pertinent and full; I doe referre to Bellarm. Tom. 2. De clericis, lib. 1. cap. 25. Againſt whom in that place Guil. Ameſius ſayes nothing, and Joh. Alſted. in his Supplement of a Fifth Tome to Dan. Chamier. Panſtrat. lib. 4. cap. 10. Paragr. 2. Confeſſes in a manner, that to object againſt him in this, is to ſeek a knot in a bulruſh. See Dr. Thomas Ridley his learned Diſcourſe of Tythes, In his View of the Civill and Eccleſiaſtical Law, pag. 124. &c. And in Offerings] Terumah, The Oblation, Elevation, Offering, or, Firſt fruit, did alſo belong to God; The Terumah gdolah, The Great Oblation, and the Bikkurim. The ſeverall ſorts, and other matters worth knowing, concerning as well Tythes, as theſe Oblations. See in Ioh. Weemſe, Chriſtian Synag. lib. 1. cap. 6. ſect. 4. paragr. 2.3. And more fully in our owne Goodwyn, Moſ. and Ar. lib. 6. cap. 2.3. And thus having argued againſt their ſinne,
2. He expoſtulates with them their unreaſonablnes in this thing, and that it were better for them to deale righteouſly in the maintenance of Gods Prieſts, both,
1. For the avoyding of evill, ver. 9. and,
2. For the procuring of good. ver. 10, 11, 12.
I. In defrauding God of tythes, Ʋerſe 9 they brought themſelves under the curſe. Yee are curſed with a curſe, for yee have robbed mee, even this whole Nation.] Not one, or few, but all dealt ill with God, in the matter of tythes, and therefore God brought a curſe upon the whole Nation. The Vulg. and others, take it for a curſe of penury and ſcarcity of victualls; a great curſe in that land. Meerah of Arar, ſignifies penury, want, or, barrennes. Winkleman derives the word of Maar, To gnaw, or Pill: but not ſo ſoundly. The Lxx here take the word to come of foreign, and upon that miſtake, render the place, foreign. (of the Anomalie in the word foreign in the Text, ſee Sixt. Amam. in Anom. Spec. ad locum.)
II. In bringing of tythes juſtly, they ſhould finde,
1. Their eſtates bleſſed, verſe 10.11.
2. Their reputation cleared. ver. 12. So there are here two promiſes.
Firſt, a bleſſing on their eſtates. ver. 10.11. Verſe 10,11. Bring yee all the Tythes into the ſtorehouſe, that there may be meate in mine houſe, and prove mee now herewith, ſaith the Lord of hoſts, if I will not open unto you the windowes of Heaven, and poure you out a bleſſing, that there ſhall not bee roome enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your ſakes; and hee ſhall not deſtroy the fruites of your ground, neither ſhall your vine caſt her fruit, before the time in the field, ſaith the Lord of hoſts. A place often and pertinently applyed and preſſed, by ſuch as have had occaſion to declame on this ſubject, and ſurely of great force to ſuch as have faith in the promiſes of God. A place which had well deſerved more then a bare marginall note, from the late author of the profitable Treatiſe of Divine promiſes. lib. 3. p. 231.
Bring yee all the tythes,] Our old authoriſed Engliſh, Bring yee every tythe. Men have made diſtinctions of tythes, (and ſome of their owne coyning to ſave ſomething from God) but ranke them under what heads you will, all muſt bee brought, and of every kinde.
Into the ſtorehouſe,] Vulg. Into the barne. The tyth-barne. So the word is Ioel. 1.17. The Garners are layd deſolate, the barnes are broken down. But it is uſually rendred Treaſury. Beth haozar, The houſe of treaſure or ſtore. It ſeemes they had a ſtanding place for tythes, as it is called Nehem. 13.11.12, 13. ſee the place, and 1. Chron. 26.20.
That there may be meate in my houſe] Vulg. That there may bee ſpoyle, and the Hebr. Tereph. ſignifies ſo much. It is a Synechdoche, and the affection of the Trope is a Catachreſis. Spoyle, that is, meate, there's the Catachreſis, the ſpoyle which the beaſt makes to get food being put for meate: and then the Synechdoche, meate, put for all neceſſary proviſion.
Meate in my houſe] that is, in the ſtorehouſe for the uſe and neceſſity of my houſe; that is, of my Prieſts and Levites that ſerve in my houſe, my temple.
And prove mee now herewith, ſaith the Lord of hoſts] Menaſſeh Ben-Iſrael, Quaeſt. 3. in Deut. makes the doubt how theſe words may be reconciled to thoſe, in Deut. 6.16. Yee ſhall not tempt the Lord your God: and anſwers well, that Malachies words are not to bee underſtood Cauſaliter but Conſecutivè, namely, that they ſhould indeed finde by experience, that if they offered their tythes, they ſhould finde the Lord gracious and bountifull. See him more fully in the place cited, in his Conciliator. So that here the promiſe of good things followes. In which let us obſerve the artifice uſed in perſuading.
Prove me, &c. If I will not open you the windowes of Heaven,] whether I will not. Piſcat. and our Comment. make this forme, (If I will not,) an oath. Which cannot bee cleare, without ſome ſupply to the text, to make up the ſenſe, which needs not, but the ſenſe doth facilely offer it ſelfe thus, I will open them unto you, and powre you out ſo much raine (a great bleſſing in thoſe hot and dry Countries) as if the windowes of Heaven were opened. A phraſe noting great plenty. 2. Kin. 7.2.
The windowes of Heaven] Vulg. The Catarracts of Heaven. Catarracts are guſhings downe of much water with volence, of foreign Defluere. ſuch as are thoſe outragious ſtreames of freſh water (which Peter Martyr of Millan a Counſellor to the King of Spaine, deſcribes in his Decades of the new World, Dec. 1. lib. 6.) which ſo violently iſſue and fall headlong into the Sea, that they drive back the ſalt water a good way, though rough and forced with contrary winds; They ruſh downe from the tops of the mountaines of Paria, which Chriſtopher Columbus the firſt diſcoverer, was ſtrongly conceited of, to bee the ſeate of Paradiſe. The French tranſlate it here, The Shutts. Menochius, expreſſeth the Vulgar Catarracts, by the Port-Culliſſes, The Sluſes, or Dammes, of Heaven. And ſo Cael. Rhodiginus, lect. Antiqu. lib. 23. cap. 24. doth expreſſe it, taking occaſion to interprete that place in Geneſ. 7.11. Upon which place, and Geneſ. 8.2, See Ioh. Piſcators Scholia. The Clouds are the windowes or floud-gates of Heaven, in the ſenſe of this place.
And powre you out (or, empty you out) a bleſſing] that is, a ſhower of raine, bringing a bleſſing with it of plenty. Among the Hebrewis, A bleſſing as when it is uſed concerning words, it ſignifies a ſalutation, or good wiſh: ſo when it is uſed concerning things, it denotes ſome reall good, or gift, as Geneſ. 33.11. Take I pray thee (foreign) my bleſſing which is brought unto thee, that is, my gift. So, Iudg. 1.15. Give me a bleſſing. The Chald reades, A poſſeſſion; and that appeares to be her meaning by the next words, Give alſo ſprings of water. Shee deſired ſome low grounds. And we alſo in our uſe of ſpeaking have ſuch a meaning, when we ſpeake of A mothers bleſſing.
That (there ſhall) not (be roome) enough (to receive it] the Hebr. being conciſe, hath only, That not enough. The reſt our Engliſh tranſlation hath ſupplyed. The Geneva, I will powre you out a bleſſing, without meaſure. The Vulg. A bleſſing even to aboundance. The Lxx, Till it ſufficeth. The Chald. So that yee ſhall ſay, It is enough. The French, As much as you can have no more. The ſenſe of all this variety of expreſſion is the ſame and cleare. Your ſtorehouſes, roomes, and veſſells, ſhall not bee able to hold and containe the plenty: like as the Prophet dealt with the widow, whoſe Hiſtory wee have, 2. King. 4.3, 4, 5, 6.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your ſake] that is, The Locuſts, or other harmefull Wormes or Creatures. When there is much raine and plenty, many times theſe Inſects eate up all; as we ſee, Ioel, 1.4. and in the Hiſtory of the plagues of Aegypt. It is among the moſt wonderfull ſtories and moſt lamentable, which the Hiſtorians doe relate of the plague of Locuſts in France about the yeare 852. Whereſoever they fell, they pitched their camp as it were, and devoured all for 20. Miles ſpace in a day. And ſtill a ſmall company went about a dayes journey before the reſt, as harbingers and guides of the reſt to chooſe where the whole multitude ſhould a light, which accordingly would follow and devoure all before them.
Some Countries have beene almoſt layd waſt by them. Pliny ſaith that in the Iſle Lemnes, the magiſtrates were faine to take it into their care, to appoint unto every inhabitant what meaſure of them to deſtroy, ſo to keepe them under. Yea Scaliger, Exerc. 192. ſect. 3. tells us of a kind of Inſects that uſually in the Northern parts of Norway fall in ſhowres of raine, which if they be opened, as ſome as they fall have raw and indigeſted hearbs found within them; and when and where they alight, they bite and eate up all that is greene. Againſt theſe Devourers the Lord promiſes to provide and to ſecure them.
And he ſhall not deſtroy (or corrupt) the fruite of your ground; neither ſhall your vine caſt her fruite before the time in the field.] Vulg. Geneva, and the French, your vine ſhall not be barren. Or, abortive, ſo others. The Buds and Grapes ſhall not fall off unripe. They are called Orbi palmites among the Latines, that beare not. The word is uſed, Gen. 31.38. Thy ſhee-goates have not caſt their young. And, Gen. 42.36. Me have yee bereaved of my children. foreign.
Secondly, a bleſſing of reputation or good name. verſe 12. And all Nations ſhall call you bleſſed; Verſe 12 for yee ſhall bee a delightſome Land, ſaith the Lord of hoſts.] All ſhall ſpeake of your bleſſedneſſe, ſhall magnifie and prayſe you. So the ſenſe is, in Job. 29.11. When the eare heard me, it bleſſed me, that is, It praiſed me. And thus the Lxx, foreign. For yee ſhall bee a delightſome Land] Vulg. a deſirable. Geneva. a pleaſant land. Your land ſhall be greene and flouriſhing, ſo Cyril. You ſhall inhabite a fertile land; ſo Vatabl. I rather take it as S. Jer. All Nations ſhall deſire to live in your Land: a fruite of that reputation they ſhould have if they honored God with their ſubſtance. And to this ſenſe the Lxx, and our following comment. Yee ſhall be as a pleaſant land, praiſed and commended by all that paſſe by you. Thus much of the ſeventh Conteſtation.